IFSA-Butler Students Accounted for Following Chile Earthquake and Aftershocks

Thursday, April 3, 2014

IFSA-Butler students in Chile are accounted for following a 7.6 magnitude aftershock late on Wednesday. The Chilean government issued an evacuation order for the coastal areas surrounding the earthquake, as well as a tsunami warning, but both were cancelled earlier today. Please see the April 2 information below for details on IFSA-Butler's earthquake response and student safety precautions.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

An 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit along the coastlines of Chile, Peru and Ecuador late on Tuesday, April 1. All IFSA-Butler students in Chile have been accounted for.

The Chilean government issued a tsunami alert and mandatory evacuation for all coastal residents, but this evacuation order did not affect our students in Chile, as our program cities of Santiago and Valparaiso are very far from the center of the earthquake. The tsunami alert was cancelled Wednesday morning. Our resident director in Peru has also verified that IFSA-Butler students in Lima are fine and did not feel the earthquake.

IFSA-Butler's resident directors in Santiago and Valparaiso have responded to the earthquake with the following safety precautions and reminders:

A U.S. Embassy statement to all U.S. citizens in Chile was sent out to all IFSA-Butler Chile students.

Students have been asked to contact their families to assure them that they are fine.

University classes in Valparaiso were cancelled today and will resume as soon as officials, as a normal precaution, can verify that campus buildings are safe. Our Valparaiso resident director, Mark Sinclair, will notify all students once university classes resume.

IFSA-Butler is closely monitoring the escalation of tensions between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Since November 2013, intermittent rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel by Islamic Jihadist groups has been slowly increasing, while the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has consistently responded with targeted attacks on specific jihadist installations located in Gaza.

Over the past 24 hours, reports indicate that over 60 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel, and the IDF has targeted at least 36 sites in Gaza. No casualties have been reported. This is the most activity witnessed between the two entities since November 2012. It is also reported that Egyptian officials are working towards a cease fire with the Israeli government and Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza.

At this time, IFSA-Butler will continue to monitor developments in the region with the assistance of our contracted intelligence analysis assistance company. We do not anticipate any interruption to the study abroad program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem at this time, as the epicenter of activity is within a small radius of the Israel-Gaza border. Students who are studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem have been instructed to avoid this area at all costs, and they have also been informed on what to do should sirens sound in Jerusalem. IFSA-Butler students have also been given emergency contact information for the IFSA-Butler student services coordinator in Israel, as well as Hebrew University staff.

Over the past 24 hours, Chile has experienced a series of tremors in the central coastal region of the country. The tremors have ranged from 3.0 to 5.4 on the Richter Scale, but they have not caused any damage in Valparaíso or Santiago. There is no current tsunami alert for the Chilean coastline.

All students on IFSA-Butler programs in Chile are accounted for and attending class as regularly scheduled. IFSA-Butler will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.

IFSA-Butler Response to Argentine Economic Concerns

February 19, 2014

IFSA-Butler has received queries from parents and study abroad advisors about the current economy of Argentina and whether the country's financial issues may negatively affect a student's study abroad experience.

It is correct that the value of the Argentine peso has fallen from 6 pesos to the U.S. dollar to 8 pesos per dollar since January. In addition, the country has seen large-scale demonstrations related to economic concerns.

However, these recent developments have not caused widespread political instability or financial collapse, and Argentina's national government continues to function normally. Moreoever, Argentina's unemployment rate is 6 percent, compared to much higher rates in some European countries that nevertheless remain extremely popular as destinations for study abroad.

IFSA-Butler's resident staff in Buenos Aires and Mendoza work to place students with host families who live in very secure areas. In the unlikely event that Argentina would experience serious economic or political turmoil, the areas where our students live would likely remain very safe, and students would also be able to rely on IFSA-Butler's resident staff and 24 hour safety network for assistance.

IFSA-Butler is confident that Argentina will remain politically and economically stable and provide an amazing opportunity to students who want an authentic cultural experience in Latin America. Students, parents and advisors who still have questions or concerns about Argentina are welcome to contact the following IFSA-Butler directors:

IFSA-Butler continues to monitor severe weather affecting the majority of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Students in Cork and Limerick have been instructed to remain indoors due to hurricane force winds that have caused power outages and transportation delays. Persistent rain has also caused flooding and transportation issues in southwestern England and Wales.

We have reminded all students to follow any emergency instructions set forth by the universities and local authorities. Students can also contact the IFSA-Butler resident staff should they have questions or need assistance.